St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-26

VENAfW The race feeling
JEN g NJ of attachment to
VII ScV'N it is wonderful
~ to us who see in
it only a ragged contemporary covering.
But it has ever been his home from an
earlier time than you have record of
your own progenitOrS' habitatiOnS. 1t IS
UndiScOverabe why it is so, but the
tents here in this lovely camp on the
PresumpscOt nearly all face south. You
viii find that tue of any GYPSY campin
any part of the world. Possibly there
Is traceable in it an unconscious relic of
ancient sun WorShiping. Possibly
your reason that its lazy occupants love
the sun like any other animal would
hold good. But even in a language
only preserved from lip to memory, and
whose pOSSeSSOrS are too ignorant TO
comprehend its or their own origin,
there still remain from the imagery of
an almost baTbaric heart lore many eX
pressi0ns of most poetic form and feel
ing. These tell how closely knit into
the very life fiber of the Gypsy has been
the aspiration to make his tent home
all that is dearest and best TO him.
writes Edgar Wakeman to the st. Louis
GlObe-Democrat.
Firm as rounded hill are the tents
of my people, breathed some Gypsy
poet a thousand years ago, and the road
side wanderer to-day will pridefully
give you the same sentence in ROmany.
MY loves breasts are as hillOckS of
amber. OF as bright tents FURNISHED
by the SUM- sang some RO-
many Solomon in the jungleS of India,
and the Gypsy lover of to-day
signs in the same poetic smile. True
to my people as our tents against the
sand wind" Il will cling to my Rom,
(the first. the head, the husband, like
the panther skin to the crooked wOGd'
namely. as closely as the panther's
hide TO the tent bow; Our tents shall
guard from the storm darts as shields
of brass make pOWerleSS great spears"
''AS the crOuching hare is vaulted by
the raging lion, shall our eaTth-cOlOred
tents remain hidden from the purSuer;'
GAS still as the red stars sleep. shall
nestle our tents in the Valleys" las
the heart hOldeth the warm blood and
giveth strength, so my tent hOldeth all
my life''-are a few of the innumera-
bic poetic magerieS attaching to the
tent, which rough and unctuOuS fancieS,
cTyStalliZing motive and character
are countless. The skewer is the
sharp hickory peg with which
the wooden coverings are pinned to the
tents. Consequently viragO has IAN
evil eye and SkeWer tongue A waste
fui gypsy is as a cOYerleS tent: a spirit
less one, as rotten tents bow. A leWd
woman is as fallen tent, and a good
one ''aS snug as proper tent" There
are also many quaint and tender love
and gypsy home songs, in which the
tent stands for all that shuts harm out
and good in: while there are certain I'M
written and inviolable laws and Gus
toms about the tent which are very in
teTesting to observe and study. The
rule is universal preventing gypSies
occupying the tents inner com
partmentS, save at night or
when driven inside by storms. In
case of quarrelS, involving serious
trouble and possible endaRgering OF life
no gypsy who is defending himself may
be pursued within the tent. GypSieG
cling to an Old tent until the last mo-
ment it can be sliced and patched to-
gether, out Of pure affection for it. "An
Old tents an old friend" is one of their
proud sayings. Any gypsy born under
d tent preserves a piece of its bows or
wooden covering until his dying day,
and it is then buried with his effects.
To be born in the tent carries pride, as
does a good strain of blood. Those born
''under a roof are regarded as Unfortu-
nate. These are often deriSiYely termed
in ROmany kair rajahS, or ''hOuSe lords"
As with all things else in use among
the gypsieS, the kettle-Stick has its
place among the legends and lore Of the
race. 1t is not only an imperatively
needed factor in everyday life, but it is
far more. Indeed this one black piece
of iron possesses almost the same cher
ished value as the ingle-hOOk. 1t is the
typical hearthSide of the race. 1t often
becomes the object of the tinker'S high
est efforts. JOB" the tinker over there
by his little portable forge, is now ham
mering away upon one upon which he
has been at work for months at odd
hours. and its knobs, diminutive griffinS
and Torture are wonderful indeed. |
once saw one wrought by the gypsy Faa
tribe of YethOlm, England. an heirloom
in constant use, which no money could
buy. The female head of the gypsy
household is always its keeper, and the
anxiety about proper protection of this
one bit Of old iron. from which the pots
and kettles hang and SiZZle above the
CHEEKY fires, sometimes amounts TO posi-
tive lunacy. The reason for this dis
covered to be that all sorts OF supersti-
lions cling to its continued possession.
1t is a kind of amulet to the gypsy home
as an entirety. Its loss, especially
through any manner of careleSSneSS, is
fully believed TO be the precursor of all
sorts of i'll luck. But they have no use
for this priced utensil unless it comes
into their possession through the gro
tesque avenue of precedent and lace
bugaboOS.
once found little band of newly ar
rived German gypSies on the bank of
the romantic WiSSihickOn in a state of
pitiable poverty. | felt l was doing
them a great turn in having made them
a handsome kettle-stick in Philadelphia
at my own expense. They accepted it
with apparent gratitude and delight,
but | afterwards learned that | was not
well out of camp ere they had sold my
fine gilt for old iron. 1t had come from
COrgiO, non-gypsy. However kindly
meant, it could never possess gypsy
character. The truth is, they would
have eaten their food raw before they
would baye used it. l have since asked
many gypSieS the reason for this in
gratitude and diScourtesy, and all
could get from them was: I'VE jess
like jess as watts our OWN or the
briefer and more explicit, Hits Oul
way"